A photo journal comprised of my thoughts on motherhood and other life happenings, as well as some of professional work as a photographer. Southern California is home.
-Jack Kerouac always tickles my soul a way no other can… “Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road”. Looking forward to an upcoming road trip with my bestie in August. It’ll be like old times.
-Google searches this week have included the following: how to get your infant to stop biting you while breastfeeding and how to effectively punish a toddler. And, also, a fun spin on last post’s “why do mom’s” search… top three searches starting with “why do dads”: 1. leave, 2. yell, 3. matter. It’s a sad day when you have to turn to google for reasons to why your father left.
-I’ve jumped on board the smoothie train. Not for myself because, um, gross. But for Hooper. I shopped for a couple recipes here but have been simply blending spinach and berries because he likes it, will actually drink it, and would otherwise never touch spinach even if it were dipped in chocolate.
-A friend of mine has taken on the role of Camp Director for a fantastic camp for a fantastic cause. He has almost reached his goal in raising the money necessary to make it all come to fruition, but needs a little more help. If you have a second, check out this video. And if you feel compelled to donate, good vibes will surely come your way.
-Alix and Dottie, the lovely ladies behind Modern Kiddo, have invited me to join their blog as a contributor. I’m incredibly honored and have been having a blast working on my “Widdle Wednesday” features. You can check out an interview they did with me here and you can check back on the Modern Kiddo blog every Wednesday to see my feature.
-There was a time that Willy and I made a deal. He wanted another dog and I thought he was absolutely insane. Knowing a second dog would take a lot of time and attention, I told him we could get one so long as he stopped playing fantasy sports online. It’s been over a year and we don’t have a second dog, so you can guess how that all panned out. The internet is a funny place and arguably, a big ol’ time suck. We all have our online things we like to do: shopping, sports, news, blogs, recipes, asking google why your father left, the list goes on forever. I found this story fascinating; This guy dedicated himself to one year without internet in hopes it would strengthen his creativity and help him be more productive. What he found with this: the problem was himself. His problems were there with or without the internet, they just manifested in other ways in his offline life. It was an interesting read and the video is well done as well.
-I don’t share much medical or nursing related stuff on here, but I thought this article was an interesting read. It talks about how, in the age of modern medicine, death has become viewed as a medical failure rather than life’s natural conclusion. Food for thought.
-For those with a sick kind of humor, this video will give you a good laugh. I love the little old lady who says, “Oh my gosh” and then instructs him to “hold on to the cart”. She’s my favorite.
-I never did see a better looking nursery than this. And lo and behold it belongs to the son of Max Wagner, a fantastic photographer who continuously inspires me. Makes Van’s nursery look like something that fell out of an elephant’s butt. And of course Morgan, from The Brick House, had a hand in it because she’s one of those everything-I-touch-turns-to-gold kinda of phenoms. I have such a girl crush on her; She’s such a riot. If you haven’t checked out The Brick House, you should. Even if you’re not into interior design, homegirl is sure to have you rolling around in giggles.
-Oh yes, last but not least… I’m taking the plunge. More to come on all the behind-the-scenes blood, sweat, and tears but I’m hoping to start my photography business within the next few months. I’m offering some mini-sessions this weekend for those that are in the southern Cali area. Interested? Shoot me an email: ashleyjennett@gmail.com. Thank you all for your encouragement and support along the way. It’s taken me several years to grow balls big enough to make this dream a reality.
-I sent my first email to my travel to Cuba dealer. It’s illegal to travel to Cuba from the US, but we did manage to find a legal way to go the first time we went. I refer to our helper as our dealer, cuz traveling is like a drug to me. It’s the first email in what I hope will be many.
-Got a free moment? I’d love your vote for The Dairy Queen award. I know, it makes me seem like either a frozen yogurt guru or a cow. I am neither. The lovely mom of Elliot that I donate my extra milk to nominated me for the award.
-When I was a young girl, I wanted so badly to be a mom. Well, really, I just wanted a baby. There was an old man that lived next door to us with his own children and grandchildren. He happened to have twin grandchildren. He’d walk them everyday and when he’d see me playing in the front yard, he’d proposition me in his heavy accent, “dollar for baby?”, and I’d run inside begging my mom for a dollar. I would have not brought this story up except for the fact some lady tried selling her 3 year old on Craigslist. You can read the story here. You have to admire her ingenuity. I mean if you buy can anything from a prostitute to a lamp on Craigslist, why not a baby? Or better yet, a toddler? There’s one way to combat the terrible twos/threes. Craigslist, for the win. And because you can’t win them all, she’s pregnant again.
-Listening to this record by Paul Simon over and over and over again. It’s one of my favorite records. It has some of my most favorite versions of some of my most favorite Paul Simon songs.
-When I googled “Why do moms”, the top three search results today are: 1. kill their children, 2. get postpartum depression, 3. eat the placenta. Yesterday, the top three were 1. yell, 2. do everything, 3. hate video games. It’s my new daily search. Perhaps “sell their children on craigslist” will creep up the ladder soon.
-I know, I know, I’m sharing a lot of trailer renovations. I’ve already alluded to my itchy feet, so what’s new? Check out this renovation. I wish I could smell that cedar through my computer screen. You better believe it made me pop on over to craigslist to find a baby for sale for a little hunt of my own. I may or may not have made a phone call and sent a couple emails.
-I received the sweetest gift in the mail, including a onesie similar to this, a shirt similar to this, and this cutie patootie badge similar to this, from Fritha. You can check out her etsy store here.
-Please welcome my two new sponsors: I’ve worked with Truly Sanctuary in the past and, though I know I shouldn’t be biased, Ron and Beth are two of my favorites. I have a girl crush on Beth. Homegirl is so funny. You must follow along on her instagram feed. I smell a Truly Sanctuary giveaway in the not-so-distant future. Also jumping on board is Melissa from Fawn Over Baby, a beautiful blog for all things baby. I love this nursery that she featured, especially the books in that vintage crate next to that little yellow chair… so cute. She also does fun style boards, like this one for tribal girl finds and this one for the little fellas. Her DIYs are also super sweet. Please help me in showing my sponsors some love. Stop by give em’ a virtual high five.
-Van’s teething. He’s got at least three teeth coming in. It hasn’t affected his sleep at night, but he wakes up crying and has been skipping some naps. Ho hum.
-Oh yes, and lastly, a plea. Votes over on Top Baby Blog have been reset. Care to take a second and click on the link below? I know, I know, broken record over here. Thank you all for your support. Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.
